Medical TerminologyBasic Word Structure

Basic Word Structure Objectives:

To divide medical terms into component parts

To analyze, pronounce, and spell medical terms using common combining forms, suffixes and prefixes.

Test Questions

Anything found in your book AND on the slide show are FAIR GAME for test questions.

Word Analysis

Medical words are used everyday in a medical setting If you work in a medical setting If you are a patient in a hospital If you are in a doctor’s office Speaking with family members about

conditions they might have

Understanding You can understand a word even if you

have never heard it before! Complicated words can be broken down

into parts and the meaning deduced from the parts. To deduce means: to arrive at a

conclusion or fact by reasoning; to draw a logical conclusion

The 3 “Rs” The best way to learn this material: wRite

Write out the words/meanings Color-Code if possible

Repeat Do it again

Review Flashcards, writing, saying, etc.

• Colors used here:

• Prefix (blue)• Root (Purple)• Combining

Vowel (green)• Suffix (red)• Important words

(brown)

When studying flashcards Start with a few (3-6).

Pick 1-2 that are hard, 1-2 that are easy Repeat them till memorized.

Add a few more (2-3) unknown ones. Mix with original pile, repeat till

memorized. Repeat adding a few at a time till they

are all memorized.

**We will be doing flashcards daily!**

Example 1 – How to break down a word

HematologyRoot

Combining VowelSuffix

Not shown: Prefix (Would go before root in example1)

How to analyze a word Begin at the END of the word

Suffix Next look at the BEGINNING of the word

Word root (or sometimes prefix) Next look at the combining vowel

This will help you to break the word up into its parts – “O” is the most common combining vowel.

Example 1(cont.)

HematologyRoot (blood)

Combining Vowel

Suffix (study of)

What does it mean?

Answer: The Study of Blood

Example 2

Electrocardiogram

Root (electricity)

Combining Vowels Suffix (record)

What does it mean?

Answer: Record of the Electricity in the Heart

Root (heart)

Combining Form Combining vowel and root word

together Examples:

Electr/o: Electricity Cardi/o: Heart Gastr/o: Stomach Enter/o: Intestines

Example 3

Gastroenterology

Root (stomach)

Combining Vowels Suffix (Study of)

What does it mean?

Answer: The Study of the Stomach and the Intestines

Root (intestines)

Common Suffixes -scope

Instrument used to visually examine -ic

Pertaining to -ac

Pertaining to -itis

Inflammation

Prefixes Found at the beginning of a word and

can change a meaning. Examples: Sub-

below Trans-

across Retro-

Behind

Important Rules Read a medical word starting at the

suffix, then going to the prefix (if present), and then root word(s)from left to right.

If a suffix begins with a vowel, drop the combining vowel.

If two root words are combined, keep the combining vowel even if the second root word begins with a vowel.

Example 4

GastroscopeRoot (stomach)

Combining Vowel

Suffix (instrument used to visually examine)

What does it mean?

Answer: Instrument used to visually examine the stomach

Example 5

GastricRoot (stomach)

Suffix (pertaining to)

What does it mean?

Answer: Pertaining to the stomach

* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ic” begins with a vowel

Example 6

CardiacRoot (heart)

Suffix (pertaining to)

What does it mean?

Answer: Pertaining to the heart

* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-ac” begins with a vowel

Example 7

EnteritisRoot (intestines)

Suffix (inflammation)

What does it mean?

Answer: inflammation of the intestines

* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-itis” begins with a vowel

Example 8

GastroenteritisRoot (stomach)

Combining VowelSuffix (inflammation)

What does it mean?

Answer: The Study of the Stomach and the Intestines

Root (intestines)

* Combining Vowel is dropped because “-itis” begins with a vowel

Assignment: In Notebooks:

Put today’s date Title: Combining forms: Workbook pages 5-

14 Write the medical term and meaning for

each item found. Number each item (there are 39 of them)

Answers Be prepared to share your answers to

workbook pages 5-14.

Learning to pronounce the words is part of this class!

What happens in a stroke? Blood flow is slowed or stopped to an

area of the brain. The following may occur:

Aphasia (loss of speech) Paralysis (loss of movement) Weakness Changes in the 5 senses.

Two types of Stroke:

What is the prostate gland? Gland in males only Sits below the bladder

(where urine is stored) Secretes fluid that

combines with sperm to form semen (fluid that leaves the urethra during ejaculation)

Blood Cells - Erythrocytes Red Blood Cells Carry Oxygen

Blood Cells - Leukocytes Help to fight disease Also known as White Blood

Cells Five different types:

Eosinophil Basophil Neutrophil Lymphocyte Monocyte

Blood Cells - Thrombocytes Platelets Help the blood

to clot

All the Blood Parts: (sizes)

Plural words (Part 1) If a word ends in “a”, keep the “a” and

add an “e”. Vertebra (backbone)

Plural: vertebrae Bursa (sack of fluid near a joint)

Plural: bursae If a word ends in “is”, drop the “is” and

add “es” Diagnosis (nature and cause of disease)

Plural: diagnoses Psychosis (abnormal condition of the mind)

Plural: psychoses

Plural words (Part 2) If a word ends in “ex” or “ix”, drop the

“ex” or “ix” and add an “ices”. Cortex (Outer parts of organs)

Plural: cortices Varix (enlarged, swollen vein)

Plural: varices If a word ends in “on”, drop the “on”

and add “a” ganglion (groups of nerve cells or benign

cysts near a joint) Plural: ganglia

Plural words (Part 3) If a word ends in “um”, drop the “um”

and add an “a”. Bacterium (Type of one-celled organism)

Plural: bacteria Ovum (egg cell)

Plural: Ova If a word ends in “us”, drop the “us” and

add “i” Bronchus (tubes leading from the windpipe

to the lungs) Plural: bronchi

Calculus (stones) Plural: Calculi

Plural words (Part 4) Exceptions to the rules:

Virus (small infectious agent that can replicate inside other living cells) Plural: Viruses

Sinus (cavity within the bone or other tissue) Plural: Sinuses

Assignment: Worksheet:

“Plurals and Basics” Complete and turn in

Flashcards: Study

What is a hematoma? Blood trapped in the skin or under an organ

Left: Subungual hematomaBottom left: Hickie

Medical Examiner

Versus a Coroner

Medical Examiner versus a Coroner Autopsy: Process of viewing self (viewing the

cause of a patient’s death) Biopsy: Process of viewing life (viewing of live

tissue under a microscope) Pathologist: Medical doctor who does autopsies

and views biopsies Medical Examiner (M.E.): is a pathologist who

specializes in forensic medicine related to crimes.

Coroner: Elected official who investigates any suspicious death (may or may not be a Medical Examiner)

Medical terms using “-logy” - 1 Cardiology

Study of the heart Dermatology

Study of the skin Endocrinology

Study of the endocrine glands Gastroenterology

Study of the stomach and intestines Gynecology

Study of women and women’s diseases Rheumatology

Study of joint diseases

Medical terms using “-logy” - 2 Hematology

Study of the blood Neurology

Study of the nerves, brain and spinal cord Oncology

Study of tumors (cancerous or malignant) Opthalmology

Study of the eye Pathology

Study of disease Psychology

Study of the mind and mental disorders

Assignment: In Notebooks:

Put today’s date Title: Suffixes and Prefixes: Workbook pages 15-

20 Write the medical term and meaning for each

item found. Number each item (there are 40 of them)

Answers Be prepared to share your answers to

workbook pages 15-20.

Learning to pronounce the words is part of this class!

Graves Disease Hyperthryoidism:

condition of excessive thyroid (hormone)

Laparoscopy Lapar/o: abdomen -scopy: process of visual

examination

Arthroscopy Arthr/o: joint -scopy: visual

examination

Hyperglycemia Condition of having excessive glucose

(sugar) Type 1 diabetes:

Lack of insulin Type 2 diabetes:

Insulin doesn’t work Both results in excess sugar remaining in the

blood instead of being transported into the cells so that energy can be made.

What is it like to live with diabetes?

Lets read Pages 21-22 together.

Exercises: Part A – Page 23

Write the word, using a slash to divide into component parts

Write the meaning for the whole term. Part B – Page 24

Write out the sentence, underline the term used.

Part C – Page 24 Write the word Write the tissue/body part it describes Write the meaning of the word.

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Exercises: Part D – Page 25

Write the word Write the meaning

Part E – Page 25 Write the suffix Write the meaning

Part F – Page 26 Write out the complete sentence Underline the medical term you complete

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Exercises: Part G – Page 26

Write the prefix Write the meaning

Part H – Page 27 Write the medical term Write the meaning

Part I – Page 27 Write out the complete medical term (underline

it) Write the meaning

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Exercises: Part J – Page 28-30

Write the bold medical term Write the meaning

Part K – Page 30 Write the medical term Write the plural of the medical term

Part L – Page 30-31 Write the words you would circle in the vignette

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Pronunciation

Work with a partner Practice saying the words you find on

Pages 33-36 Quiz each other on their meanings

*** Bonus: Write out the words as you say them as well as their meanings ***

Practical Applications Sometimes we don’t have to know all of the

information in order to figure out what a word means.

Practice this skill by writing out the procedure and the condition that it would treat from the list given.

Use the process of elimination when necessary.

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

POA versus Admitting diagnosis POA: Present on Admission

Conditions that are noted and treated if necessary but may not cause a patient to be admitted into the hospital

Admitting diagnosis Condition that can become life-

threatening without proper treatment. This is a reason for hospital admittance.

Picture Show Page 39-41 Write out the question and the answer for

parts A, B, C, D.

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Review Page 43-44 Write out the combining forms and their

meanings Write out the suffixes and their meanings Write out the prefixes and their meanings

Do all work in your notebooks – Put today’s date, and what you are working on at the top of the page.

Terminology Checkup

Take a look at the list of items on page 46

If you are not comfortable with telling the difference between the items listed, go back and study!